Autumn Lesson Ideas

Nothing signals the onset of the fall season more than pumpkins and Halloween. Here's some great idea's to keep the kiddo's engaged and learning.

Source: http://www.athenalearningcenters.com/autumn-lesson-ideas/

Veteran teachers know that from now until after the holidays, it will be a little more challenging to keep the students engaged in what’s going on in the classroom. A good strategy is to incorporate some of the themes that are surrounding them once they leave the campus.

Here are some fun, yet challenging lesson ideas for incorporating autumn into each subject area’s curriculum.

Science: Now’s the time for photosynthesis

Fall is the biggest time of year for photosynthesis. After all, if it wasn’t for the change in the ability of plants to create energy, their leaves wouldn’t fall in the first place. When studying photosynthesis, you can make the lesson as complicated as you want depending on the grade level you’re trying to reach, including various experiments with healthy plants. Age-appropriate explanations for why leaves change color can be found at Science Made Simple.

Math: Get out the pumpkins!

Pumpkins are a natural ally to math teachers everywhere. They come in a variety of weights and sizes, or circumferences and radiuses for geography teachers. Smaller children love to carve them up and use the seeds for various arithmetical exercises, while the older kids can start working on more complicated tasks including building their own pumpkin-chucking machine for studying trajectory and laws of motion. They make the room smell nice, too.

Social Science: Track the foliage

This works particularly well as a teaming activity with a science teacher studying photosynthesis (see above). A good place to start is the national foliage map from the Weather Channel. Using various data found online, students can start piecing together what is happening with the foliage around the country. See if they can make some friends on Skype in a place where the colors are quite different from home, especially if you’re teaching in an area where the leaves don’t change. Advanced students can create their own foliage map based on temperature data and other factors.

English/Language Arts: It’s Poe time!

Frankly, the work of Edgar Allan Poe seems out of place in any other season. The imagery is a bit cold and dark, just like fall. Aside from reading his poetry or short stories, take some time to introduce the concept of gothic horror to the students and ask them to create their own stories in the same tradition. Sharing is also important. When students create any writing, it should be written to be read by more than just their teacher. Find some works from other authors with unreliable narration or suspense and run a comparison.

The Next Level

Have you had success with any other fall-themed lesson units? Educate us in the comments below.

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And if you feel your child needs a little more help preparing for this rigorous new curriculum, please find out more about Athena’s tutoring services.

What To Do If Your Child Is Being Bullied

Threatening isn’t bullying—it’s criminal behavior that is against the law in any situation.

This is becoming more and more prevalent in our schools due to overcrowding, parents not monitoring their child’s school life for one reason or another and the overall moral decline of our nation. This is a good list of what to watch out for and actions to take if you believe your child is the victim of bullying.

Source: http://www.athenalearningcenters.com/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-being-bullied

Schools and districts take bullying a lot more seriously now than when we were in class, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean it has gone away. What has happened is there are now some actionable steps that will get results. If you find out your child is being bullied at school, here are the steps you should take.

· Support your child

It takes a lot of courage for them to come to you. Support their feelings about the incident and never suggest they could have done more or they should “toughen up”.

· Get as many details as possible

Reporting a bullying incident requires specifics. Names, dates, times, locations, and what was said/done are all needed. If there were witnesses, get their information as well.

· If a threat was made, contact the police

Threatening isn’t bullying—it’s criminal behavior that is against the law in any situation.

· Research the school’s anti-bullying policy

It might have been bad behavior, but the incident might not fit the definition of bullying.

· Cyberbullying

If the bullying is occurring online, make sure cyberbullying is covered in the school’s policy. It might not be. If not, most states now have legislation regarding online bullying. If that’s the case, the police need to be notified.

· Contact school personnel

Severity and regularity dictate who you talk to. One time, minor offense? The teacher is probably fine. Anything more than that, make an appointment with the principal.

· Relay the information calmly

No matter how angry you might be, you’ll be much more likely to be able to work with the school if you come off as rational.

· Work together to come up with a plan
There should be specific steps that everyone involved need to accomplish after the meeting is concluded. Write these down and confirm after the meeting. Everyone, especially the school personnel, need to be held accountable.

· Follow up

A lot of parents don’t ask for updates from their child. Give it about a week and ask what has happened. Also, if you haven’t heard from the school, now is the time to make sure they are doing their part.

· If bullying continues, move up the chain of command

Most districts have administration-level personnel that are responsible for anti-bullying steps. If yours doesn’t, the superintendent is the next step. Copy the principal on all correspondence.


If the district is ineffective, file charges with the police and the school board.

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Athena Learning Center of College Station

Tutoring and Learning Center for K-12th grade kids in math, reading, writing and science

3505 Longmire Drive
College Station Texas (TX) 77845
United States

(979) 314-9132
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am - 8pm

Dear Student: I Don't Expect You to Be Perfect

Have you ever wanted to write a letter to your child’s teacher and tell them how to help your child better or to just tell them off? Or maybe you have. Here is a great letter from an experienced, passionate educator to his students. This is an insightful look into a teachers response and thoughts how best to help his students help him. Very enlightening!


Source: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/reaching-all-students/2015/09/dear_student.html


Every fall, I am struck by a profound sense of responsibility as parents drop their children off in my

classroom. Humbled by the mixture of faith and fear inherent in that moment, I meet moms and dads who hope that I will hold their children close, appreciate their unique traits, and help them inhabit their potential. Parents of unconventional learners have come to me with stories that have left them and their child in a state of academic PTSD. These parents count on me to invest in their children enough so that I can celebrate their abilities, understand their struggles, and, in some cases, help heal their childrens' school-based wounds.


However, even with the best intentions, I will occasionally move too fast, expect too much, miss a cue, drop a ball. I might even do all of those things with the same child (I really hope not). This is a hard truth to accept, particularly because I pride myself on being an educator who advocates for students with different learning profiles.


Over the past month, a trend has developed in social media. I refer to it as the "Dear Teacher Movement." Children with learning challenges, particularly dyslexia, have taken to the internet to

share letters they have written to their new teachers, communicating their hopes and dreams for the upcoming school year. In these poignant and frequently unsettling appeals, students wish to remind teachers they are trying (even when it may not look like that); that they are smart and capable (even if they struggle with certain skills); and that they have high aspirations for their own learning (which they hope their teachers will share). Implied in these letters are previous teacher failures that prompted students to share in this way.


Teaching is complex. We try hard to get it right, but sometimes we fail. Even with more than twenty-five years of teaching experience, I still have blindspots. I hope that my students know that I am not judging their potential by their spelling or speed, or confusing their school struggles with lack of effort. However, learning disabilities like dyslexia can make assessing a student's ability and effort more difficult. Often, I need my students' feedback to help me determine how to best meet their learning needs. This fall, inspired by the Dear Teacher letters, I decided to write a different kind of letter to my students at the launch of the school year.


Dear Student,
I am honored and thrilled to be your 5th grade teacher this year. I take my job very seriously, but despite my great effort and my good intentions, I sometimes fumble. Here are a few things that you should know.

1. I was not a perfect student and I don't expect you to be.

2. We all learn differently. This year I hope you will help me understand how you learn best.

3. Spelling well and reading fast make learning easier, but they have nothing to do with intelligence. I will help you become better spellers and readers, but intelligence is much more complex. Some of the best thinkers struggled with school skills. Please don't get discouraged if some skills are hard for you. It does not mean that you are stupid (at all). This year we will try to identify some strategies to make school work less frustrating.

4. Tell me if you are struggling. Effort can often be invisible. I wish I had a crystal ball, but I don't. Let me know if I assign something that feels overwhelming. That way, we can create effective supports or craft a workaround plan together.

5. Sometimes I go too fast. I get too excited or ambitious or impatient. When I do, remind me to slow down. Everyone in the class will appreciate it, including me.

6. I look forward to finding out what gets you up in the morning (besides your alarm). What are your dreams inside and outside of school? Let's try to connect them. That is where you will find the joy in learning.

Finally, sometimes school may not be easy, but it should never be miserable. Please don't suffer in silence.

Sincerely,

Kyle Redford


After reading this, how would you write to your child's teacher now? Any differences? Here at Athena, we know that children have different learning skills and vastly different learning styles. We do in depth analysis' to see exactly where they are at so we can help them the best. We come alongside your child's teachers to supplement and help them with what they are already learning. Our tutors ARE teachers and have experience in the struggles that all teachers (and students) face. Give us a call today and see how we can best help your child.

Athena Learning Center of College Station

Tutoring and Learning Center for K-12th grade kids in math, reading, writing and science

3505 Longmire Drive
College Station Texas (TX) 77845
United States

(979) 314-9132
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am - 8pm

Parental Involvement Important for School Success

Continuing on with our subject of parents getting involved with their child's school, this is a timely article by our friends at Mom's Everyday. Being engaged with our children and their school life can have a huge impact in their learning, growing and just every aspect of their lives. It really is that important! Get involved.

source: http://www.momseveryday.com/national/justformoms/headlines/?article=322860101





We spend a lot of time getting our kids prepared for a successful experience in school. We send them to preschool, help with homework and sign them up for enriching experiences.

But there's one thing that not all parents do that can be just as important: getting involved in your child's school.

Research shows that communicating with teachers, being involved in the school work, volunteering and just being present at the school as much as you can is important to your child's success.


Parental involvement is also associated with fewer problem behaviors and better social skills

compared to children whose parents are not involved.

Here's some advice on how to get involved:

First, initiate contact with your child's teacher early in the year. If you pick your child up from school, make it a point to touch base with the teacher occasionally. But don't try to have a meeting in the parking lot.

Ask if there are opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or at school events, and attend those school events whenever possible.

Maintain a consistent homework routine. Check in with your child daily regarding school work and be available to help with homework.

It can be difficult to make homework a priority with busy schedules and sports, but it shouldn't be the last thing you try to cram in at the end of the day.

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Athena Learning Center of College Station

Tutoring and Learning Center for K-12th grade kids in math, reading, writing and science

3505 Longmire Drive
College Station Texas (TX) 77845
United States

(979) 314-9132
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am - 8pm